A kookmobile is a vehicle plastered with what a normal person — never mind a traffic cop — would likely consider to be an excessive amount of signs, stickers, ropes, flags and ornaments, all intended to advertise the driver's views to the public in the most lucid lurid and convincing way possible. It can be considered a vehicle variant of Haig's Law where the awfulness of the Kookmobile's appearance is directly proportional to the insanity of its contents and creator.

Kookmobiles may sometimes also incorporate a so-called nut pole, i.e. a metal or wooden mast (often outfitted with various ropes and pulleys) from which signage, flags, and other assorted doodads may be hung on display.

Drivers of kookmobiles (especially of those bearing nut poles) may rightfully be assumed to be armed and dangerouscranky, and should therefore be given a wide berth.

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Kookmobiles are not to be confused with art cars; Kookmobiles are ugly vehicles that obnoxiously express political or religious statements, whereas the latter are primarily humorous and/or artistic in nature. The same risk of misidentification is also inherent for ham radio cars,[2] parade floats, and regular old sailing boats (which only make their way up on land in order to mate).

If the car has a number on the sides and roof and the stickers are primarily automotive and tool companies that is not a kookmobile, that is a racecar.

If you overhear a person wearing baggy shorts stuffed with tins of Sex Wax on their way to the beach call the vehicle they're driving a kookmobile, don't get excited. It's just surf lingo for an ordinary car or van, and the only thing kooky about it is exactly how baked the barefooted driver is currently.[3][4]

Just like with ocean-going ships — which may signal the condition and nationality of the vessel using a flag system — so the kookmobile signs-and-doodads signal the relative level of psychiatric undertreatment of the vehicle's owner.

An OhioTea Party enthusiast reportedly spent $32,000 to create his dream kookmobile. Jesus is conspicuously absent; however the vehicle features luxurious twin nut poles[8] flying gigantic Trump and "Don't Tread On Me" flags, a "9-11 pilgrimage" display, as well as "Not A Gun Free Zone" and "Impeach Obama" slogans.[9]

A Michigan Trump supporter created the "Trump Unity Bridge," to "heal a fractured nation," and proceeded to drive it across half the continent, all the way to the Trump Inauguration. The bridge featured messages such as "LOCK HER UP 2017," demonstrating a truly deeply-held belief in constructively bridging the divide between the people who supported making "her" president and the Trump supporters.[10] The bridge itself is uniquely famous, having been notably stolen and recovered 20 miles from its initial location 2 years prior to becoming the "Unity Bridge."[11]

One well-known kookmobile has been a popular Milwaukee, Wisconsin fixture for at least 25 years. Known as the "Godmobile", it's operated by a local character called "Brother Ron".[12]

Like the legend of The Phantom, there have in fact been numerous discrete incarnations of the Godmobile over the years. Every single one of the vehicles holding the title in question have been uniformly drenched in Bible verses and kooky sayings. Honorable mentions include:

"GOD HAS A DRESS CODE; LADIES NO PANTS"

"FAGS AN [sic] DIKES; DEMONS GOD DISLIKS [sic]"

"THE US LIB GOV'T TERRY TODAY, YOU TOMORROW. IS NO BETTER THEN [sic] THE A.C.L.U. IF WE STARVE TERRY SHIAVO TO Death".